STAN Ternent remains defiant that Burnley will win their relegation battle despite yesterday's damaging home defeat to Watford.

The Clarets slipped to within one point of the drop zone after failing to capitalise on Saturday's excellent win at Walsall with a desperately disappointing display.

Ternent's side now have just five games left to salvage their season, starting with a daunting trip to Cardiff this weekend.

But the Burnley boss is adamant that First Division football will still be played out at Turf Moor next season.

He said: "This was a bad day at the office, but we will dust ourselves down and we will get a team out at Cardiff on Saturday that will be a lot more competitive than this one.

"It's so frustrating after we did so well at Walsall, so I'm extremely disappointed to lose the game and very disappointed with the performance,

"We were very poor and nowhere near our usual selves and whatever handle you put on it, the players know it, I know it and the supporters know that performance just wasn't good enough."

Ternent, who was made to sit and suffer as he served the second of a four-match touchline ban, added: "Losing a match is hard to take anyhow, but if you play well and lose it, or even have a go then it's not as bad.

"We've done neither and the goals we gave Watford were poor.

"Everything went wrong and I don't think even Marvo the Magician would have influenced anything in that game. We just have to put it down to experience, get over it and get the necessary points required.

"In the space of a few days we've had a good day and a bad one. I'm sure we'll have some more good ones and probably some more bad ones, but I still say we will get the required points to stay in the First Division."

Burnley's relegation rivals strung together a series of results that compounded the misery of a fourth successive home game without victory.

But Ternent added: "Other results aren't of great importance to me - the only one that matters is ours.

"I said when we had 40 points it wasn't enough and the same at 42 and 47. But 53 is, and we will get them.

"We have five matches left, three at home and two away.

"That's 15 points to play for and we need half a dozen of them. We will get there. Eventually."

Mark McGregor's first goal for 16 months ultimately proved worthless as a Paul Devlin penalty and further strikes from Heidar Helguson and Lee Cook threw fellow strugglers Watford a lifeline.

Dele Adebola netted late on in his Turf Moor debut, but Burnley were unable to force an equaliser to leave them two places and one point above third from bottom side Derby - albeit with a game in hand to come against already relegated Wimbledon a week today.

Ternent will hope his walking wounded can be patched up in time for Saturday's trip to the Welsh capital.

Paul Weller (hamstring) and Neil Wood (knee) limped out of Monday's game with recurrences of their injuries, while Adebola is still battling a stomach strain.

BURNLEY Football Club will carry new shirt sponsors next season following the announcement of a record-breaking sponsorship deal.

Hunters Estate Agents will become the sponsors for the next two seasons in a bank-busting, six-figure coup. The lucrative deal will start this summer and will be emblazoned on the front of both new home and away shirts.

The company is one of the north's fastest growing estate agents, with around 140 employees at 11 offices throughout northern England, including Manchester, Leeds, York and Harrogate.

Burnley FC chief executive, Dave Edmundson, said: "This is the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the club.

"We are delighted to welcome Hunters Estate Agents on board as our official sponsor.

"Hunters is already a well-known brand across the north and it is fantastic that a company of this size and stature has chosen Burnley Football Club as a vehicle for its development."

And Keith Hollinrake, director of Hunters, said: "We are delighted to secure this fantastic opportunity to sponsor Burnley Football Club.

"The team has a huge fan base throughout the region, which makes Burnley an ideal sponsorship choice.

"We look forward to supporting the club's future development."